Nonlinear Laser Beam Scan Pattern

Abstract

A method for pointing a laser beam. The laser beam is directed at a location nearest to a maximum of an uncertainty area in which a satellite is expected to be located. The laser beam is moved from the location to a next location nearest to the maximum of the uncertainty area in response to not receiving a confirmation that the satellite is at the location. The next location becomes a current location for the laser beam. The number of scan parameters is adjusted during a movement of the laser beam to scan the uncertainty area. The laser beam is continued to be moved from the current location to the next location nearest to the maximum of the uncertainty area from the current location in response to not receiving the confirmation that the satellite has received the laser beam.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A laser beam transmission system comprising:
 a laser beam system configured to transmit a laser beam; and   a controller configured to control the laser beam system to:
 direct the laser beam at a location nearest to a maximum of an uncertainty area in which a satellite is expected to be located; 
 move the laser beam from the location to a next location nearest to the maximum of the uncertainty area in response to not receiving a confirmation that the satellite is at the location, wherein the next location becomes a current location for the laser beam; 
 adjust a number of scan parameters during a movement of the laser beam to scan the uncertainty area; and 
 continue to move the laser beam from the current location to the next location nearest to the maximum of the uncertainty area from the current location in response to not receiving the confirmation that the satellite has received the laser beam. 
   
     
     
         2 . The laser beam transmission system of  claim 1 , wherein in adjusting the number of scan parameters, the controller is configured to:
 decrease an overlap during the movement of the laser beam to scan the uncertainty area.   
     
     
         3 . The laser beam transmission system of  claim 2 , wherein the maximum of the uncertainty area is a center of an uncertainty area and wherein the overlap at locations that have a same distance from the maximum of the uncertainty area is uniform. 
     
     
         4 . The laser beam transmission system of  claim 1 , wherein in adjusting the number of scan parameters, the controller is configured to:
 increase a beam divergence of the laser beam during the movement of the laser beam to scan the uncertainty area.   
     
     
         5 . The laser beam transmission system of  claim 4 , wherein the maximum of the uncertainty area is a center of an uncertainty area and wherein the beam divergence of the laser beam at locations that have a same distance from the maximum of the uncertainty area is uniform. 
     
     
         6 . The laser beam transmission system of  claim 1 , wherein in adjusting the number of scan parameters, the controller is configured to:
 decrease a dwell time for the laser beam during movement of the laser beam to scan the uncertainty area.   
     
     
         7 . The laser beam transmission system of  claim 6 , wherein the maximum of the uncertainty area is a center of an uncertainty area and wherein the dwell time of the laser beam at locations that have a same distance from the maximum of the uncertainty area is uniform. 
     
     
         8 . The laser beam transmission system of  claim 1 , wherein the movement of the laser beam to scan the uncertainty area is in a form of a nearest to maximum hexagonal scan. 
     
     
         9 . The laser beam transmission system of  claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to control the laser beam system to:
 move the laser beam to a neighbor location of a nearest neighbor in response to a time for moving the laser beam from the current location to the next location using the location nearest to the maximum of the uncertainty area being greater than a threshold, wherein the next location becomes the current location; and   continue to move the laser beam from the current location to a subsequent neighbor location of the nearest neighbor from the current location in response to the time for moving the laser beam from the current location to the next location using the location nearest to the maximum of the uncertainty area being greater than the threshold and in response to not receiving the confirmation that the satellite has received the laser beam.   
     
     
         10 . The laser beam transmission system of  claim 9 , wherein in moving the laser beam to the neighbor location of the nearest neighbor and continuing to move the laser beam from the current location to the subsequent neighbor location of the nearest neighbor from the current location is part of a nearest neighbor scan selected from one of a continuous spiral scan, a step spiral scan, a segmented scan, a hexagonal scan, and a raster scan. 
     
     
         11 . The laser beam transmission system of  claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to:
 establish communications with the satellite in response to receiving the confirmation.   
     
     
         12 . The laser beam transmission system of  claim 1 , wherein the number of scan parameters is selected from at least one of an overlap, a beam divergence, or a dwell time. 
     
     
         13 . An electromagnetic beam transmission system comprising:
 an electromagnetic beam system configured to transmit an electromagnetic beam; and   a controller configured to control the electromagnetic beam transmission system to:
 direct the electromagnetic beam at a location nearest to a maximum of an uncertainty area in which an object is expected to be located; 
 move the electromagnetic beam from the location to a next location nearest to the maximum of the uncertainty area in response to not receiving a confirmation that the object is at the location, wherein the next location becomes a current location for the electromagnetic beam; 
 adjust a number of scan parameters during a movement of the electromagnetic beam to scan the uncertainty area; and 
 continue to move the electromagnetic beam from the current location to the next location nearest to the maximum of the uncertainty area from the current location in response to not receiving the confirmation that the electromagnetic beam has encountered the object. 
   
     
     
         14 . The electromagnetic beam transmission system of  claim 13 , wherein the number of scan parameters is selected from at least one of an overlap, a beam divergence, or a dwell time. 
     
     
         15 . The electromagnetic beam transmission system of  claim 13 , wherein the object is selected from a group comprising an uncooperative object, a mobile platform, a stationary platform, a land-based structure, an aquatic-based structure, a space-based structure, an aircraft, a vehicle controlled by an artificial intelligence system, a vehicle controlled by a neural network, a commercial aircraft, a rotorcraft, a tilt-rotor aircraft, a tilt wing aircraft, a vertical takeoff and landing aircraft, an electrical vertical takeoff and landing vehicle, a personal air vehicle, a surface ship, a tank, a personnel carrier, a train, a spacecraft, a space station, a satellite, a submarine, an automobile, a power plant, a bridge, a dam, a house, a manufacturing facility, a building, and an electromagnetic beam receiver. 
     
     
         16 . A method for pointing a laser beam, the method comprising:
 directing the laser beam at a location nearest to a maximum of an uncertainty area in which a satellite is expected to be located;   moving the laser beam from the location to a next location nearest to the maximum of the uncertainty area in response to not receiving a confirmation that the satellite is at the location, wherein the next location becomes a current location for the laser beam;   adjusting a number of scan parameters during a movement of the laser beam to scan the uncertainty area; and   continuing to move the laser beam from the current location to the next location nearest to the maximum of the uncertainty area from the current location in response to not receiving the confirmation that the satellite has received the laser beam.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein a movement of the laser beam to scan the uncertainty area is in a form of a nearest to maximum hexagonal scan. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 16  further comprising:
 moving the laser beam to a neighbor location of a nearest neighbor in response to a time for moving the laser beam from the current location to the next location using the location nearest to the maximum of the uncertainty area being greater than a threshold, wherein the next location becomes the current location; and 
 continuing to move the laser beam from the current location to a subsequent neighbor location of the nearest neighbor from the current location in response to the time for moving the laser beam from the current location to the next location using the location nearest to the maximum of the uncertainty area being greater than the threshold and in response to not receiving the confirmation that the satellite has received the laser beam. 
 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein adjusting the number of scan parameters comprises:
 decreasing an overlap during the movement of the laser beam to scan the uncertainty area.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the maximum of the uncertainty area is a center of an uncertainty area and wherein the overlap at locations that have a same distance from the maximum of the uncertainty area is uniform. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein in adjusting the number of scan parameters comprises:
 increasing a beam divergence of the laser beam during the movement of the laser beam to scan the uncertainty area.   
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the maximum of the uncertainty area is a center of an uncertainty area and wherein the beam divergence of the laser beam at locations that have a same distance from the maximum of the uncertainty area is uniform. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein adjusting the number of scan parameters comprises:
 decreasing a dwell time for the laser beam during movement of the laser beam to scan the uncertainty area.   
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein the maximum of the uncertainty area is a center of an uncertainty area and wherein the dwell time of the laser beam at locations that have a same distance from the maximum of the uncertainty area is uniform. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 16  further comprising:
 establishing communications with the satellite in response to receiving the confirmation. 
 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the number of scan parameters is selected from at least one of an overlap, a beam divergence, or a dwell time. 
     
     
         27 . A method for pointing an electromagnetic beam, the method comprising:
 directing the electromagnetic beam at a location nearest to a maximum of an uncertainty area in which an object is expected to be located;   moving the electromagnetic beam from the location to a next location nearest to the maximum of the uncertainty area in response to not receiving a confirmation that the object is at the location, wherein the next location becomes a current location for the electromagnetic beam;   adjusting a number of scan parameters during a movement of the electromagnetic beam to scan the uncertainty area; and   continuing to move the electromagnetic beam from the current location to the next location nearest to the maximum of the uncertainty area from the current location in response to not receiving the confirmation that the electromagnetic beam has encountered the object.   
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 27 , wherein the number of scan parameters is selected from at least one of an overlap, a beam divergence, or a dwell time. 
     
     
         29 . An electromagnetic signal receiver system comprising:
 an electromagnetic signal receiver configured to receive electromagnetic signals; and   a controller configured to control the electromagnetic signal receiver to:
 move a field of view of the electromagnetic signal receiver to a location nearest to a maximum of an uncertainty area in which an electromagnetic signal source is expected to be located; 
 move the field of view from the location to a next location nearest to the maximum of the uncertainty area in response to not detecting electromagnetic signals from the electromagnetic signal source at the location, wherein the next location becomes a current location for the field of view; 
 adjust a number of scan parameters during a movement of the field of view to scan the uncertainty area; and 
 continue to move the field of view from the current location to the next location nearest to the maximum of the uncertainty area from the current location in response to not detecting electromagnetic signals from the electromagnetic signal source.